Chief Joseph & the Flight of the Nez Perce

The Untold Story of an American Tragedy

By: Kent Nerburn

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

Hidden in the shadow cast by the great western expeditions of Lewis and Clark lies another journey every bit as poignant, every bit as dramatic, and every bit as essential to an understanding of who we are as a nation - the 1,800-mile journey made by Chief Joseph and 800 Nez Perce men, women, and children from their homelands in what is now eastern Oregon to Montana. There, only 40 miles from the Canadian border and freedom, Chief Joseph, convinced that the wounded and elders could go no farther, walked across the snowy battlefield, handed his rifle to the US military commander who had been pursuing them, and spoke his now-famous words, "From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."

Drawing on four years of research, interviews, and 20,000 miles of travel, Nerburn takes us beyond the surrender to the captives' unlikely welcome in Bismarck, North Dakota, their tragic eight-year exile in Indian Territory, and their ultimate return to the Northwest. Nerburn reveals the true, complex character of Joseph, showing how the man was transformed into a myth by a public hungry for an image of the noble Indian and how Joseph exploited the myth in order to achieve his single goal of returning his people to their homeland.

©2005 Kent Nerburn (P)2018 Tantor

Amazing account of Chief Joseph

One of the best books on Native history I have read. How I wish I would have learned this in school. The narrator is great and I was sad when the book ended

Incredible true history !!

Oh my word!!! This is a truthful, historical accounting of the absolute, awful treatment of Chief Joseph and his people. He continually acted in good faith, only to be taken advantage of time and again by ‘civilized - educated people’ that didn’t have the least amount of or honesty as he and his people did. Time and time again he acted in good faith only to be dishonored. How on earth can anyone, any government make up for what has been lost. Breaks my heart.

Gripped from start to finish by both hands!

This book is a fascinating and very well written in it’s historical account of a people who lived through so much after enjoying thousands of years of self sustaining and respectful living in the Pacific Northwest. I realized that I literally live 10 minutes from their reservation in Steven’s County, Wa and knew very little about who the Nez Perce people were or their rich place in history. This author created a “feel like you were there” experience masterfully.
While listening to this audiobook, completely unrelated to this book, I found a PBS DOCUMENTARY of how the West was discovered and settled by Ken Burns. It is also an in-depth visual presentation of the exact same people that combined creates an unparalleled presentation in both book and documentary mediums of this time period.
The tragic history of how the U.S. leaders from the President’s all the way down to Indian agents, military officers, towns mayors, etc. never once kept their word or written agreements is a scar on who they were personally and this nation’s founding. It’s one thing to see how rapidly the new age of expansion steam rolled mercilessly over these rightful owners of the American west but the degree of dishonest, treacherous, no character, murderers people who played God with them is repulsive. This doesn’t include the citizen settlers, gold miners, railroad workers who displayed very similar treatment to a peaceful people. Attacked, scattered, hunted down and taken advantage of by the white peoples who were stealing their lands, traditions, centuries old way to live in harmony with the earth and ultimately almost caused them to become extinct will be documented in historical records for the ages to see the kind of people who started cities and towns from Canada to Mexico in the late 1700 - 1900’s.
The silver lining is watching time and time again a people with many leaders of high character, whose visionary leader, Chief Joseph displayed character and integrity seldom witnessed at any time in history.
If the U. S. and citizens ever do decide to make reparations to any slighted people, the Indigenous Peoples need to be at the top of this list.

Excellent & Accurate Book of Chief Joseph

Kent Nerburn did a fantastic job at documenting and researching an accurate story of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce.

Terrific listen. Sad story. Accurate and unbiased history.

Excellent

A Must read/listen that encompasses so much history that is not only educational, but interesting and opposite of boring. #noregrets